What’s the difference between baking a cake and speaking a galaxy into existence? When you bake, you need ingredients: flour, eggs, sugar. You’re taking things that already exist and turning them into something new. But you always have to start with something.
God didn’t. When God created the universe, he started with nothing. The Bible opens with these words: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1 NIV).
The Hebrew word translated “created” here is baraʾ (בָּרָא), pronounced bah-RAH. But this isn’t just any word for making something. Baraʾ appears about 50 times in the Old Testament and, every time, it refers to God doing the creating. Humans never baraʾ. When people make something, the Bible uses other words: asah (to make) or yatsar (to form). But baraʾ is reserved for what only God can do.
Think about everything you’ve ever made: a meal, a garden, a drawing, a project around the house. Every one of those required something to start with. But when God creates, he starts with nothing. Out of nothing, he calls galaxies, mountains, oceans, and life into existence. That’s baraʾ.
Step outside and take a look around. Every star in the sky, every blade of grass, every song of the birds, every drop of rain is a reminder of God’s creative power at work.
And God’s ability to create isn’t limited to the world around us. The God who creates from nothing also re-creates things that are broken.
King David understood this. After his catastrophic failures involving adultery and murder, he cried out: “Create [baraʾ] in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10 NIV). Notice that word baraʾ. David didn’t ask God to repair his heart or improve it. He asked God to create a new one.
That’s good news for us. When you’ve made a mess of things and your life is broken, God doesn’t just offer a temporary patch. He can make us completely new from the inside out. The same God who spoke the universe into existence from nothing is still creating new beginnings in our lives.
As you begin this devotional journey in 2026, pause and consider the God who creates. Take a look around at the world he has made. Pay attention to the colors, the textures, the sounds, and life all around you. When something catches your eye, say to yourself, “God created this”, and let that simple acknowledgment lead you to gratitude.
And remember that the same creative power that formed the universe is still at work not only in the world but in your own life as well.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are the Creator who spoke the universe into existence from nothing, and I stand in awe of you. Help me to notice your handiwork and may my sense of wonder lead me to gratitude. When my life feels broken, create in me a clean heart and a new beginning. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day
